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Allan Pease researches and studies the psychology of selling, relationships and human communication. He teaches simple, field-tested skills and techniques that get results. His messages are delivered in a humorous way, which motivates people to want to use these ideas immediately.

Author's Name

Allan Pease

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+61 7 5445 5600

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https://www.peaseinternational.com

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Body language makes up 60%-80% of all the impact that is made face-to-face, which includes Skype, Zoom and other video call mediums. Research shows people form up to 90% of their opinion about and their attitude toward you in under 4 minutes, making body language a critical aspect of creating a positive first impression.

Is Body language universal?

Body Language is an unconscious reflection by our bodies of what our minds are thinking and there are universal signals that we all share. Smiling for example, is a way of saying we are not a threat. If someone smiles at you, it is an automatic reaction to return the smile. Moving our head from side to side is also another very natural reaction when we are disagreeing with something. It is believed to originate from when we were breastfed - when a baby no longer wants milk, they move their head from side to side to avoid being fed.

How should we read body language?

Body Language is best read in clusters of 3. For example, someone who is lying will often scratch their nose, or loosen their tie due to additional blood flow when they are not telling the truth. However any of these gestures taken out of context can easily be misinterpreted - they may have an itchy nose, or their tie is too tight.

Tips for forming a good first impression

Here are 6 strategies for making a good first impression:
1. The Heart Hello
Before Covid, people shook hands. Now handshakes are scary due to the risk of germ transmission, so we recommend a germ-free alternative - the Heart Hello.

Do the following-

1. Place your hand over your heart
2. Smile (with your teeth visible) and lean forward
3. Maintain eye contact with the person you’re greeting (this allows you to be
connected to them but not submissive)

Here’s how it looks:



The HEART-HELLO achieves several things – first, it makes the other person feel welcomed
and accepted. Second, it maintains physical distancing and it’s germ free. And third, it
allows you to read the other person’s full body language signals, which is harder in
an up-close handshake.

2. Smile with your teeth visible
Smiling is a primate appeasement gesture showing others that you are non-threatening. Our research shows the more frequently you smile, the closer others will stand to you, the more eye contact they will give you, the more likely they will be to touch you and the longer they want to stay with you. In other words, smiling is great for your business and personal life! Practice your smile in front of the mirror.

A genuine smile wrinkles the outer corners of the eyes, lifts the corners of the mouth up and shows the teeth. Other primates do this too and it appears to be inborn.

3. Palm Power
When used correctly, palm power invests its user with a degree of authority and silent command. Palm-Facing-Up is a non-threatening gesture that’s been used since caveman times to show that the person is not holding any weapons.
If you give a presentation and continually use the Palm-Down position, you’re more likely to suffer rejection from your audience.
The pointed finger is a symbolic club with which the speaker figuratively beats the listener into submission. If you are a habitual finger pointer, practice the palm-up and palm-down and you’ll find that a combination of these positions can create a more relaxed atmosphere and you’ll have a more positive effect on your audience.

4. Left Hand-Holding
Practice holding folders, papers, brief cases and drinks in you left hand. We typically greet each other, open doors, move a chair or wave goodbye with our right hand. So if your right hand is free of objects you’ll avoid looking clumsy. This strategy may seem obvious at first but few people pay it much attention.

5. Territorial Respect
We each carry a bubble of space around our body called Personal Space. Its width depends on population density and what culture the person is from. If you are standing close to someone and you notice them move back, they’re telling you this is the amount of space they need to feel comfortable with you. Keep your distance and resist moving forward.

6. Dress For Success
The secret to appropriate business dress is to ask yourself how the other person expects you to be dressed. For you to appear credible, approachable, likeable, authoritative, knowledgeable and successful, how would you be dressed in their opinion?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. When you practice these techniques you will become more successful at making a positive first impression every time.

Body language reveals a person’s emotional condition, and therefore gives clues about what they may be thinking and what to do or say next. When you know how to use positive body language and practice it in your everyday life, people will feel relaxed with you and will be more open to your ideas. People who don’t understand body language can rub others the wrong way and jeopardise important opportunities for social connection and business success.